scarecrow

I really didn't care

Revisado: 09-12-24

I got more than halfway through and still didn't care about the characters or the mystery. I was bored literally the whole time, and I'm not all that hard to please.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

okay story, grating narrator

Revisado: 09-23-23

This narrator always makes the characters sound like they're either groaning (most men) or about to faint from exhaustion (most women). Can't give any sense of urgency to climactic scenes. The story was alright, but not gripping.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

terrific voice acting, good writing

Revisado: 09-09-23

I finished this book in two days. At first I didn't really like the characters, but they grew on me. The narrators both do a phenomenal job. Where the book itself shines is in the moments of suspense, which are visceral and vivid. As another teacher pointed out, the ending was perhaps not quite as compelling as it could've been, in that the resolution seemed kind of easy, especially after a "terrible cost" was hinted at earlier, but it's still a great read that I will be recommending to friends.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Not as grand as Jane Eyre, but interesting

Revisado: 12-07-21

I found the main character horribly grating at first because she's SO misanthropic, and also slightly ethnocentric. Both things make sense with the character's backstory, but that didn't make her any easier to listen to. I've never read anything with such a hateful protagonist, but I pushed past it and she did get better eventually.

Reimagining one of the greatest novels of all time is very bold, not least because you're inviting comparisons between your work and the original. This story didn't have the same degree of mystery, grandiose romance, or slow-burn intensity as Jane Eyre, so it doesn't really compare favorably to the original in my opinion. Granted, the original was arguably too slow, and there is romance in this one. It's not bad; worth a read just for the fun of hearing how the author decided to recreate different elements of Jane Eyre.

I have no criticism for the quality of the writing itself except that the author had the protagonist remind herself that she wasn't on the street anymore far too many times.

The narrator is a good actress, but she read descriptions of confrontations with demons with the same emotional intensity she gave to touring the house. Whenever she got to dialogue, I was always startled by the fact that she *could* emote well after all.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

This narrator may literally be a bot.

Revisado: 08-28-21

This narrator may just be a bot. I got five minutes in and now I'm looking up how to get a refund.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

One of my favorite Peabody mysteries!

Revisado: 07-15-21

Really good story once it gets going. I prefer the other narrator that's available rather than Barbara Rosenblatt. Although most actually prefer Rosenblatt, I find her performance overly proper and her voices caricature-esque. Still enjoyed myself, though!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Well-told

Revisado: 06-07-21

Good storytelling here. Not a book with a sense of humor--which isn't a criticism, just something to know going in. It's all straightforward and serious. The plot keeps you engaged, anyway, because it's an interesting story. As an Egyptology enthusiast, I enjoyed how the author made details of daily life feel real and accessible.

The narrator does a good job of letting the story take center stage. I didn't notice any overacting or annoying quirks. I thought she did an especially good job of changing her voice to suit the children--she really sounded younger.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Better than I expected

Revisado: 05-19-19

The "men are the weaker sex" idea is interesting, although it feels a tad gimmicky--maybe just because of how much world-building is packed into the beginning to explain how this society functions. The writing is actually pretty good, which is honestly not what I've personally seen in many Audible Originals. (Maybe I've just been picking bad ones, who knows.) The present tense gives the narration a sense of immediacy that pairs well with the frequent action scenes. I could have happily listened to more of this story.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

terrible reading, bad writing, good story

Revisado: 06-13-17

This is a terrible reading that makes not-great writing sound even worse. Somebody else described it as "A kindergarten teacher reading Cinderella," which is accurate. Her villains' voices are AWFUL. However, the story of this trilogy is very interesting, and I'm finishing it because I'm still into it despite its faults. I feel bad to be harsh, but I kind of just wish someone else had written it. The writing is almost entirely free of any color, e.g. "I felt fear for my family, knowing that the army would be nearby." (Not quite a direct quote, but as good as). I think maybe the author was trying to achieve the tone of a simple ancient lifestyle, but it comes off as a lot of telling and little showing. I would recommend "Child of the Morning" and "The Red Tent" as better-written alternatives with similar aspects of this story.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Inoffensive, mildly entertaining

Revisado: 05-02-16

On her worst day, I still think Barbara Mertz/Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters was a better author than most, but this book isn't one of her best. Amelia Peabody and Vicky Bliss are much more interesting than this heroine--probably because they're both a bit larger than life, and Julie seems like a normal person you might actually meet. Still, the story is fairly interesting, and it's still a cleverer book than you'd find from most other authors. I haven't found anyone who compares.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña